Improvement in indicators



J FREEMAN. Indicator.

Nzo*. 202,643.' Patented April 23, [878.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN FREEMAN, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN INDICATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 202,643, dated April 23, 1878 application filed August 7, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN FREEMAN, of the city of Chicago, Cook county, State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Devices for Indicating the Attendance of Persons, of which the following is a full description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2, a horizontal section at w of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detail, being a side elevation of the parts represent &13 1; and Fig. 4, a detail, being asection aty of The object of this invention is to provide a convenient device by the use of which the attendance or absence of employees and others can be indicated; and it consists in providing a frame adapted to receive cards or slides containin g the names of persons, with a space after or before each name, in which is located the letter A, and in providing a slide operated from the outside, upon the end of which slide is placed the letter P, which slide is arranged to move beneath the card, and so that the letter P can be placed over, so as to conceal or be withdrawn from, so as to expose the letter A; and it further consists in providing said frame with an outer or secondary frame adapted to receive numbers or other matter, as more fully hereinafter described.

In the drawings, a represents the frame b, the secondary or outer frame, to which the frame a is connected in any suitable manner. c are partitions. d are grooves adapted to receive cards or slides e on which the names of persons can be written or printed. f are other grooves, located below or behind the grooves d, and adapted to receive slides g. The cards e and slides g can both be inserted through openings provided in the outer edge of the frame.

h are pieces of wire located in the grooves I which receive the cards e, which wires serve as stops, against which the ends of the cards e come in contact. 'i is a back upon the frame a. j is a vertical center strip dividing the frame a into two parts. Between this strip and the stops h are open spaces, and upon the back i, in each one of these spaces, is the letter A, which is in view when not concealed by the slide g. Upon the inner ends of the slides g is the letter P, and the slides are arranged so that they can be pushed in, so that the letters P pass over and conceal the letters A.

k are rods attached to the slides g and eX- tending out through the sides of the frames, by means of which the slides are operated. A stop is provided to limit the outward movement of each slide g, which can conveniently be done by passing the rods through holes in a piece of metal secured to the backi and placing a drop of solder on each rod at the proper place to limit its outward movement. The outer ends of these rods la are provided with buttons, for convenience in handling.

I first designed this device to be used to indicate the absence or presence of the officers and teachers of a Sunday-school. Upon the margin of the frame I) I have placed characters and numerals, to indicate the superintendent, assistant, and classes of a Sundayschoolfrom one to twenty inclusive. The names of the officers and teacher of each class are to be placed upon cards e, in their proper places in the frame a. The cards e are omitted for the classes from fifteen to twcnty inclusive.

Before the opening of the school, all the slides g are to be drawn out, so as to bring the letters A into view, which indicates that all are absent, the same as shown for class 6, for example. Then when the officers and teachers enter, each one is to push in the slide g which is used in connection with his or her name, bringing the letter P over the letter A, so as to cancel it, indicating that the officer or teacher is then present.

In the drawings I have represented the position of the parts in which they might be when the school is open, nearly all of the officers and teachers being present, the teachers of the classes for Nos. 6, 12, and 13 being absent, there being no classes from No. 15 to 20 inclusive, as before stated. For class 15 and 16 the slides are represented drawn out in the position which they occupy before the opening of the school, the cards upn which the names are being removed for the purpose of showing the position of the slides. For classes 17, 18, 19, and 20, the slides are represented pushed in, to represent the presence of the teacher; but the cards are removed for the purpose of showing the position of the slides.

The device can be arranged to indicate the presence or absence of employees in stores, factories, or other places, each employee being required, for his or her interest, to push in the slide when he or she enters for work, thereby indicating the presence or absence of the person whose name is upon the card.

When used for the last-mentioned purpose, it will not be necessary to have any characters upon the frame b indeed this frame might be dispensed with, the frame a being hung or properly secured upon the wall.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

JOHN FREEMAN.

witnesses:

O. W. BoND, E. A. WEST. 

